


Holding The Baby

by Clea2011



Series: Game of Cards [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Babies, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 05:51:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10530240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/pseuds/Clea2011
Summary: Merlin had always understood that he would be the one looking after their baby.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kitty_fic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitty_fic/gifts).



> This was just a little short piece written for Game of Cards. Prompt was Merlin/Arthur - who would hold the baby when it cries?

Merlin had always understood that he would be the one looking after their baby.

Sure, Arthur would love her and care for her, but he was the king and a knight and all those other macho things.  Obviously he was going to hand Aithusa back as soon as she so much as whimpered.  And as for when her nappy needed changing… well, Merlin knew exactly who would be cleaning that up.

It didn’t matter.  That was the way of things and Merlin was happy with it.  He had Arthur and he had their magically-produced baby.  Life was pretty good.

Aithusa cried on the first night.  Of course she did.  Tired from the huge drain on his magic that creating her had required, Merlin groaned and buried his face in the pillow.  Just for a moment, and then he was going to get up.  But he’d been looking after her all day.  Just one more moment…

Except the bed dipped, and Arthur whispered something Merlin didn’t catch.  Whatever it was, Arthur had gone to Aithusa’s cradle, picked her up and was talking softly to her.  She’d stopped crying almost immediately.

Which was sort of annoying because she took ages to stop crying whenever Merlin picked her up.

Still, that was nice of Arthur, letting him rest on the first night.  Merlin made a mental note not to insult his husband for the whole of the next… well, hour or so anyway.  He’d be asleep during that time, after all. 

The next night it was Arthur who got up again.  Merlin lay awake, waiting, because he knew that particular cry.  It meant that it was nappy-changing time.  Any moment and Arthur would reappear, disgust written all over his face.  Merlin waited.  And waited. 

He was sure, right before he fell asleep again, that he could hear Arthur actually _singing_ to Aithusa.  Obviously fatherhood had addled his brain.  No, wait, it was already addled.  Merlin saved that one up for a suitable moment.

Three weeks later, and Merlin woke up to find the bed already empty.  It was almost a routine now.  Arthur looked tired sometimes during the day, but always so very, very happy. 

“Shh,” he could hear Arthur whispering from across the room.  Merlin could see him cradling Aithusa in his arms, rocking her gently.  “It’s okay, I’m here.  I’ve got you.  We just have to be quiet and let Daddy sleep because he works so hard and we love him, don’t we?  Yes we do.  Shhh…”

The great big sap.

Sometimes Merlin loved him so much that he thought his heart might burst from it.


End file.
